


The Golden Eyes

by Bana_Bana



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Mentioned Kim Junmyeon | Suho, Mentioned Zhang Yi Xing | Lay, MutualCaretaking, Owl Hybrid, Shapeshifting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-02-23 14:43:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23279752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bana_Bana/pseuds/Bana_Bana
Summary: One stormy night completely changes the lives of the Kim household.
Relationships: Kim Jongdae | Chen/Kim Minseok | Xiumin
Comments: 17
Kudos: 57
Collections: SnowSpark Fest Round One





	The Golden Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #367
> 
> Jongdae and Minseok had never planned to start a family or adopt kids. The quiet, owl-eyed hybrid that recently showed up on their porch (to seek shelter from the rain) is not a kid, either. Not technically. He sure is unworldly enough to count as a toddler though. No matter how much of a red flag that might be, neither Minseok nor Jongdae had the heart NOT to take the drenched, shivering boy in.

The sun yawned its warm embrace across the horizon as it slowly climbed further into the sky. The wheels on Minseok’s bike spun and carelessly tossed leaves aside as he rode through town. He held a calm smile on his face as the breeze slipped through his hair. After traveling the same route past the same houses and shops for so long, Minseok didn’t have to think twice when he took a right by Junmyeon’s store or took the shortcut through the alleyway next to Yixing’s clinic. After crossing the street, Minseok parked his bike at the bike rack installed in front of his cafe.

By the time he was unlocking the front door, other stores and restaurants were beginning to wake, with the lights in each window gradually being turned on. The wind chimes that hung on the glass door sang in greeting as Minseok walked in, taking in the familiar sight of wooden chairs and tables surrounded by pale green walls and tiled flooring. Slowly, the cafe came to life as Minseok turned on the lights and started taking the chairs off the tables.

With the announcement from the wind chimes came a tired Sehun’s greeting of “Morning, Hyung.”

“Good morning, Sehun,” Minseok smiled as he offered the young man a cup of coffee, who happily accepted.

The atmosphere settled into a comfortable silence as the two began to go about their routine of preparing coffee and treats for their regulars in the morning as well as baking pastries for the inevitable lunch rush. The rhythm of it all came naturally to Minseok as he refilled the water reservoir of his espresso machine before preheating it. With his attention solely on his work, he didn’t catch the sound of the wind chimes as the door opened, nor did he hear the sound of soft footsteps approach from behind.

“Yah! Kim Minseok!” came a playfully chirpy voice.

Minseok jumped in surprise before quickly recovering as he registered whose voice it was.

“Aye! Jongdae-ya,” gasped Minseok as he straightened himself out; he couldn’t even muster a pout at the sight of Jongdae’s joyful expression. “What was that for?” he asked, the hint of a smile on the edge of his lips.

“You forgot your lunch,” Jongdae responded innocently as he held up a paper bag and a bottle of juice.

Minseok huffed both out of adoration and feigned annoyance before accepting his lunch and Jongdae’s placating kiss.

“Ehm…”

The pair turned to see a sheepish looking Sehun awkwardly gesturing to the cabinet behind them. They both pulled to the side, allowing the younger to pass. Still holding onto each other, Jongdae broke away from the kiss to take in Minseok’s content expression. As swift as a crack of lightning, he was suddenly hit with a wave of inspiration, his eyes widening as his lips curled further in anticipation. Having seen this occur numerous times, Minseok let the other go with a knowing smile. They parted with the squeeze of each other’s hands as a silent ‘goodbye’ before Jongdae was out the door, heading to the parked silver car outside while also unaware of the warm gaze that followed him.

Sitting in the driver’s seat, Jongdae reached into the glove compartment for his emergency notepad and pencil. He swiftly wrote down a couple of notes and even a few drawings before starting the car. With a wave towards the cafe, Jongdae began to drive home. By now the sun was past climbing over the horizon and was hovering off in the distance with clouds sparsely dotting the sky. The ride was mostly silent save for the soft sound of a ballad quietly being played on the radio. Soon, Jongdae was pulling into the gravel driveway next to their humble home.

Their house, from afar, seemed tall but that was mostly due to it being on a hill that towered above a majority of the town’s terrain. From the driveway, Jongdae could see downhill where the road met the bridge that crossed the river and led back into town; sometimes, he and Minseok would spend their Sunday morning fishing there. Living in their house had its advantages with the view and all; although some wouldn’t have liked being so far from town square or being so close to the woods that bordered the area. However, for the couple, they didn’t mind the commute to town, and they enjoyed their little sanctuary close to nature on their hill.

After locking the car, Jongdae climbed the grey wooden steps of the porch before opening the screen door and undoing the lock to the front door. He made sure to wipe his shoes on the "Welcome" mat before stepping into the house and locking the door behind him.

Immediately, Jongdae was greeted with the fresh scent of Minseok's newest air freshener, "Hawaiian Getaway" as he placed his shoes aside in the rack below the wooden bench that occupied the wall to the left of the doorway. Equipped with his notepad, Jongdae crossed the room to the cream-colored couch, which faced the elegant, stone fireplace. Once he was comfortably sitting down, he reached for his laptop that was resting on the glass coffee table.

Within seconds, Jongdae had his draft pulled up and ready to be edited or added on to. He smiled in anticipation as he reviewed the notes in his notepad and began typing and clicking away at the computer.

(OvO)

"Good day, Mr. Lee," greeted Minseok to one of his regulars, "The usual?"

Mr. Lee nodded with a small smile, resuming to read his novel before taking a seat by the window at the front of the cafe.

While Minseok prepared his customer's usual cup of tea and assorted dry cookies with one always being a sugar cookie dusted with white sugar crystals, his mind wandered to his plans for updating the menu and possibly adding some soups instead of just sticking with the usual sandwiches and baked goods. As he carried Mr. Lee's order to his table, Minseok pondered how he was going to go about getting new soup recipes.

_ Maybe Jongdae could be my guinea pig this weekend and try some possible soups I could add to the menu. _

The thought made him smile, imagining his husband's little pout he gets while eating when he tries whatever soup Minseok made… Or how he tends to 'round' out the syllables of words when his mouth is full. The image easily brought Minseok's spirits soaring.

"Thank you, young man," came Mr. Lee's raspy voice as his eyes stayed glued to his novel.

As Minseok gave a quiet "you're welcome" to not disturb his customer's reading, he noticed, through the window, the large clouds that were rolling across the sky, partially hiding the sun.

_ Looks like it's going to rain soon. _

The thought stuck with him up until he got to take his lunch after Sehun returned from break. He sat in the backroom, around the simple folding table overlooking the other half of the room that held the cafe's inventory. While unpacking his lunch, the sudden sound of his phone ringing broke the silent atmosphere, causing Minseok to jump a little from surprise. He pulled out his phone to see a smiling Jongdae, his eyes scrunched up and face pulled wide from his grin, taking up his screen. Without hesitation, Minseok accepted the call.

"Minseok-ah," came Jongdae's sweet voice through the speaker, "Have you eaten yet?"

"I just started lunch," replied Minseok before taking a sip from his bottle of juice, "Did you eat?"

"Yes~," Minseok could already hear Jongdae's teasing smile, "I had some of the leftover rice and fish from last night. Ah! Which reminds me, I forgot to get more cooking oil when I went to the store!"

"Don't worry about it," Minseok said between bites, "I'll pick some up on my way home."

"Aw, thank you!" Rang Jongdae's voice, "Ah, but I didn't call you to give you errands… I was up in the attic, looking for my old CD's, but I found our old photo albums instead!"

"Is that so?" Chuckled Minseok, already knowing Jongdae is likely looking through the one with their old university pictures.

"Do you remember working at Mr. Park's noodle stand?" Asked Jongdae, the sound of a page flipping being heard in the background.

"Of course, that's how I met that cute literary major," smiled Minseok as he picked up his juice for another sip.

"You weren't so bad yourself," Jongdae replied, matching his husband's playfulness, "How could I look away from those cute kitten eyes and that adorable white hat you wore!"

They shared a laugh, remembering their younger selves and how awkward they were during their first meeting. The memory made Minseok feel like he was in his early twenties again. From then on until Minseok's lunch ended, the back room was filled with nothing but the jovial conversation Minseok shared with Jongdae.

(OvO)

The house was quiet, save for the sound of Jongdae's humming and the broom's gentle push against hardwood. After finishing his call with Minseok, Jongdae took a break from work and began to clean up the living room. He swayed about with the broom in tow as he finished gathering debris into a pile in the space between the couch and the bedroom door before pushing it all into the dustpan.

While he dumped the dustpan's contents into the kitchen trash can, Jongdae began to think about what to make for dinner as Minseok was due to be home soon. Recalling their conversation about their first meeting, he decided it'd be nice to surprise his husband with the very same noodles they had shared on their first date. After all, it had been a while since they had noodles that weren't from the convenience store or a restaurant. Set on the idea, Jongdae promptly put the broom and dustpan away before washing his hands and getting to work.

Sitting on the kitchen island, next to the sink, was the radio, which was currently playing the latest hits for the week. The sizzling and popping of food could be heard between the lively instrumentals and singing from the radio. The air permeated with the smell of spices and meat. Jongdae was working the stove with steadfast familiarity as he recalled all those times Minseok showed him how to prepare the noodles they had shared on their first date. With the shake of a pan and turn of the wrist, Jongdae flipped all the vegetables over all at once while keeping an eye on the meat in a different pan. The stove was packed with cooking action as all four burners were being put to work. Engrossed with his cooking, Jongdae didn't hear Minseok call in greeting from the front door nor did he hear the sound of his husband walk into the kitchen and approach him.

"Smells good, what are you making?" asked Minseok over Jongdae's shoulder, who jumped in surprise and gave a look of recognition when he glanced to his side to see who it was.

Readjusting himself, Jongdae responded merrily, "I'm making the Chef's special." He gave his husband a wink before focusing back on the stove. Minseok fondly rolled his eyes in response to the nickname Jongdae made up for the noodle recipe he created when he worked for Mr. Park but smiled still since his husband remembered how to make it. Moving around him, Minseok pulled the bottle of cooking oil out from the plastic bag that hung from his arm before placing it next to the small spice rack that stood alongside the wall by the stove.

"While I was getting the cooking oil," Minseok spoke up, making conversation, "Junmyeon asked about your book. He wondered if you decided on a name for the shopkeeper."

Jongdae chuckled in response before saying, "I'm not naming the character after him! I told him that the other day." He smiled, thinking of their good friend, as he tended to the food.

"Ah, but to answer his question, the book is coming along great. I'm still working on introducing the backstory for each of the twelve legends. I finished writing about the Legend of Time, Wind, and Fire, respectively, but I think I want to go back and tweak the story for the Legend of Wind some more."

"How so?," asked Minseok, "Did you change your mind on him growing up in that desert village?"

"Not really, I wanted to put some more focus on how he was raised by the prior bearer of Wind," Jongdae replied as he checked on the meat. "So, how was work today, Min?"

"Ah, it was the usual," Minseok shrugged as he opened the fridge to get a drink, "Although, I did see some new faces. Sehun mentioned they were some new students from his university."

"Oh, were they friends of Sehun's?" Jongdae questioned as he combined the meat, vegetables, and sauce with the noodles.

"He didn't say, but it seemed like it with the way he was so attentive with them, especially the tall one - I think his name was Chan? Chan something…" Minseok pondered before having his attention directed back to the food when Jongdae passed him a bowl of noodles.

"Go on and have a seat," Jongdae urged as he reached for another clean bowl from the cabinet hovering above the countertop to his left.

Together, the couple sat at the dining table opposite to the kitchen. Relaxed in his seat, Jongdae faced Minseok and the large window that occupied the wall behind him whereas Minseok could see the doorway to the hallway from behind Jongdae. With full bowls of food waiting in front of them, inviting the couple to eat with its scent wafting towards the both of them, Jongdae and Minseok shared few words before digging in. It wasn't until after a couple of bites did Minseok finally speak up.

"Wah! This came out so well, Jongdae!" He exclaimed merrily as he ate some more of the meat and vegetables mixed in with the noodles.

His husband smiled at the compliment as he finished chewing.

"I was only following the Chef's recipe," he grinned in response, giving Minseok a playful look. His husband merely swallowed at the way Jongdae's lips enticingly curled further.

Blinking to clear his head, Minseok intelligently responded with, "I don't remember making noodles this good."

Jongdae's smile deepened when he saw the tinge of color blooming on Minseok's cheeks. He shook his head, stifling a giggle as he went back to eating.

After dinner, the couple unwinded in the living room with Minseok showing Jongdae the latest anime he'd gotten into. Although Jongdae wasn't completely following along with what was going on in the show, he still enjoyed it nonetheless as it gave him the opportunity to hear his husband passionately gush about the story and production of the series. There was something about the way that his eyes practically shined that made Jongdae overflow with endearment. He admired the way Minseok glowed with excitement as he'd dive into one of his theories for where the story was likely going to go or what a character's arc might result in. His passion was one of the many things Jongdae loved most about Minseok.

While the end credits for an episode played on the TV above the fireplace, the two comfortably snuggled into one another, basking in each other's warmth. Minseok glanced at his phone, checking the time which read 10:37 pm. He placed the device aside before completely melting into the couch cushions as Jongdae leaned further into his side with the action.

"Dae, it's late," he mumbled with half-opened lids.

"Mmm, let's just sleep here," Jongdae said from beneath Minseok's outstretched arm as he dug his face further into his side.

"C'mon sleepyhead, let's go to bed," Minseok gently nudged his husband's shoulder as he shifted to sit up. Without Minseok supporting his weight, Jongdae sunk unceremoniously into the space between Minseok's back and the backrest. Jongdae stretched as his husband rose to his feet. After turning off the TV and the lights, the two headed to bed.

(OvO)

Smears of light and dark gray covered the sky. Rain rattled over the rooftops before tapping on windows and plopping onto wet Earth. Occasionally the jagged lines of lightning would sprint across the clouds as thunder growled up above. In a symphonic storm like this, silence did not exist.

Jongdae huddled into Minseok's chest, hoping to block out the sounds of the sky. His husband, however, did not have trouble sleeping through such a loud ruckus; his soft snores and calm expression being proof of his slumber. The mattress shifted and quietly squeaked as Jongdae continued to move about as though making his discomfort obvious would encourage the rain to leave. He peered over his shoulder, catching the red glow of numbers on the clock sitting atop the nightstand. It was two in the morning, making Jongdae sigh bitterly. Losing sleep would make him grumpy enough but having to get up early as well would only add to that. Maybe his publisher will forget to call him and then he could just sleep in... Only Jongdae knew he was just lying to himself as he'd likely call his publisher instead and kindly leave Mr. Wu a message if he did forget.

Rolling on his back, Jongdae stared up at the ceiling; he could make out the faint outline of the ceiling fan in the murky darkness of the room. To distract his mind from the storm, he imagined what the fan looks like when it's spinning - the way the blades became a circular blur as it spun, and how if he focused on the movement of a single blade, he'd get dizzy having to move his eyes round and round.

Sleep was finally starting to make it's leisure way to Jongdae until a particularly resounding thump was heard from outside, causing the tired man to jolt away from the soothing caress of slumber. Annoyance was now showing through the frown that replaced his pout. However, the feeling didn't last long when a desperate cry reached his ears, causing apprehension and concern to settle in his gut.

The urge to discover the source of the sound got Jongdae to climb out of bed and slide on his pale slippers. He considered the possibilities of who it could be, which brought up the memories of that one instance when a loose dog tried to attack him in their front yard - although that was during the day a few summers ago. Figuring it'd be best to have Minseok as back up, Jongdae walked over to his side of the bed and gently shook his shoulder. Drowsily, Minseok opened and closed his mouth in a silent yawn before turning to face Jongdae.

"Something the matter, babe?" he whispered as he slowly blinked his eyes.

"Min, I think someone, er, something is outside…!" Jongdae hissed, stealing a glance at the window opposite to the bed.

The concern in his husband's voice was enough to get Minseok feeling more awake, "I'll go have a look, don't worry."

"No, I'll go with you," Jongdae turned to reach for his jacket hanging on the door. Behind him, Minseok sat up to slide on a pair of shoes, feeling more awake as he sensed how anxious his husband felt.

Now awake and armed with a flashlight and Minseok's belt, they approached the front door. It was during instances like these where the two wished they had put a new bulb for the porch light; that way, they could just peek through the curtains of the window overlooking the porch. Once in front of the door, Jongdae stood behind Minseok with the flashlight shining over his husband's shoulder while Minseok had the belt raised in one hand and the other hovering over the doorknob.

The lock clicked open before the door was pulled aside. The couple froze in shock at the sight before them.

Hunched over the wooden boards of the porch was a small boy, about high school-aged, with his arms wrapped tightly around his knees. He had a wild mop of hair with tufts poking out here and there. His whole body was shivering as, from what the couple could see, the boy had no shirt or pants. However, despite his feral appearance, what made the two males freeze in shock was the surprised stare of two golden-brown, wide eyes. They were captivating in how much emotion could be gathered within those pools of caramel. If anything, the boy's gaze alone was enough to convey he wasn't a threat to the couple as nothing malicious lurked amongst the features of his round face. If anything, he looked like he had seen a ghost with the way his eyes trembled, so much so that it made his shivering body look still.

"Are you okay, young man?" Minseok was the first to speak up, his voice firm but full of concern for the pitiful figure on the porch.

"Tuh, tuh, tah." Chattered the boy's teeth.

"Oh, Minseok! He must be freezing. Let him inside before you start questioning him," beseeched Jongdae as he moved away from his husband to pull the boy inside, who didn't protest at the touch but looked surprised nonetheless.

“Oh! I-I’ll go get a towel!” yelped Jongdae from behind Minseok, who was closing the front door.

He turned around to see his flustered husband disappearing into the hallway across the living room. He immediately registered why his husband was surprised when his attention turned to the boy, who stood unabashedly naked as he surveyed his surroundings, but besides his lack of modesty, the young man had little brown and white feathers sprouting from the wrists, elbows, shoulders, and hips. If it weren’t for the fact that the feathers seemed to “puff” and stand on end over the boy’s skin, Minseok wouldn’t have guessed that they were a part of the boy. When their gazes met, Minseok, feeling guilty for staring, turned around and gave a cough in embarrassment. He distracted himself by placing the belt on the bench by the front door.

“Here you go,” rang Jongdae’s voice, “wrap this around yourself, okay?”

Minseok waited a few seconds before facing his husband and their guest, his gaze pointedly being kept away from the latter.

"What happened out there? Where are your clothes?" Jongdae asked as he observed the boy's face.

"C-Can't f-f-find h-home," the boy whispered, his body trembling somewhat as his eyes took on a deeper shade of gold.

For a moment, the couple was taken off guard by the change in the boy's eyes. Minseok blinked repeatedly as though he wasn't sure what he just saw was real.

_ Who is this kid? Why does he have feathers? - And did his eyes really change color? _

Jongdae recovered first and continued to question the boy, this time with a more tender voice, "What's your name?"

The boy's eyes were still shining with gold, his voice coming out shaky as he responded with, "K-Kyungs-s-soo." The last syllable of his name sounded almost like a whistle.

"Okay, Kyungsoo," Jongdae started as he rubbed his hand up and down the boy's back slowly as a means to calm him, "Do you know your address?"

Kyungsoo tilted his head in confusion, his bottom lip quivering, but it didn't last long as the boy started to break down, a barely intelligible "I want to go home" muttered under his breath. Soft whistles left his open lips as he sobbed. Jongdae enveloped him in a hug as he kept softly rubbing the boy's back.

Finally breaking out of his stupor, Minseok approached the two, who had moved to sit on the couch. As he neared them, he almost screamed in surprise as the boy's face, over Jongdae's shoulder, began to develop a beak and more feathers. His husband seemed to notice the change as Kyungsoo started to shrink from beneath the towel, his sobs dwindling and morphing into an odd mix of quiet whistles and beak claps.

They both pulled away as a small owl, an inch or two larger than the size of Minseok's hand, climbed out from beneath the towel. It had primarily brown feathers spanning its back, wings, and around the face with little specks of white dotting the fringes of feathers all around its body. The owl had a white underbelly with some tan colored feathers in-between the transition from brown to white feathers along its sides. In the center of the owl's face, between its shining, completely golden eyes were tiny white and brown feathers that fanned above and around the owl's black beak. However, what caught the attention of the couple the most was the owl's scaly, yellow legs and feet that ended in sharp, black talons that clung to the fabric of the towel beneath it.

Minseok was shaking like a leaf as his gaze switched between looking at the owl's beak and talons. Sensing his fear, Jongdae subconsciously placed himself between Minseok and the owl. It was no secret that his husband was afraid of birds and their sharp beaks and talons. Granted, Minseok did try to overcome his fear, being able to approach baby chicks with less fear compared to their adult counterparts, but to grow comfortable with a predatory bird like an owl in the span of a few seconds was out of the question.

The air was thick with tension - it felt like the house was closing in on the three. For a brief moment, no one made a move, their panicked expressions holding each other down. It stayed like that until Kyungsoo suddenly took flight and landed on top of the shelf by the fireplace. As he flew, Minseok ducked and cried out in fear as his mind swirled with thoughts of Kyungsoo's sharp appendages. Jongdae hugged him, giving Minseok a reassuring squeeze, as he kept a watchful eye on Kyungsoo as the boy, er, owl continued its sorrowful song accentuated with the snapping of his beak.

Seeing as he was the most level-headed in the room, Jongdae knew he needed to get the situation under control. He turned to Minseok, lifting his head slowly with his forefinger.

"Hey, Min," he whispered firmly, maintaining eye contact with the other, "I need you to take a deep breath."

Jongdae continued to keep his eyes locked with Minseok as he took a deep breath himself, urging his husband to follow his example. They stayed like that until Minseok's breathing became more even.

"Min, I'm going to let go of you," he started as he made sure Minseok was still with him, "When I let you go, I need you to quietly go to the kitchen. When you get there, I need you to go to the cabinet beneath the island and use the red tea kettle to boil some water. While you wait for the water to boil, I need you to retrieve the tea bags I have in the green tin box sitting on the second shelf of the cabinet by the fridge. When that water is ready, I need you to take out three mugs from the dishrack by the sink. With those mugs, I need you to make three cups of tea using the water and tea bags. Can you do that for me?"

By now, Minseok was trembling less and appeared to be a little more focused. After his husband gave him a nod and a verbal acknowledgment, Jongdae slowly unwound his arms from around Minseok and watched him as he made his way to the hallway towards the kitchen. Once Minseok was out of sight, Jongdae sighed in relief.

While helping Minseok slowly overcome his fear with birds, the couple had developed a method for calming each other down during tense situations. It consisted of four steps: (1) Controlling your breathing (2) "INY"s or "I Need You" Sentences (3) Leaving the source of negativity (4) Completing a task to distract and refocus attention elsewhere. After practicing this procedure on multiple occasions, the two had grown used to using it to help each other out of stressful situations such as right now.

Currently, it was time to see if the method could help Kyungsoo as Jongdae was soon to find out. He took carefully measured steps as he neared the bookshelf where the owl continued to pitifully whistle.

Making himself small so as to not startle the owl, Jongdae whispered, "Kyungsoo, hey, look at me." He made a small wave with his hand, trying to gain Kyungsoo's full attention. After a few waves and calls, the owl finally directed its full gaze at Jongdae, his sad song lowering in volume.

"Kyungsoo," Jongdae started, keeping his voice calm and collected, "I need you to take a deep breath for me." Keeping his eyes locked with the owl, he demonstrated a deep breath of his own. "Go on, give it a try," he continued, a small smile of encouragement gracing his lips. It took some more coaxing from Jongdae before Kyungsoo's song was replaced by his quiet breathing.

"You're doing great," he complimented before saying, "Okay, Kyungsoo, I need you to go back to the couch, please." The owl tilted its head, silently questioning Jongdae's meaning. "Over here, Soo," he said without realizing the slip of the nickname, gesturing to the piece of furniture in question. Immediately, his ears were met with the terribly sorrowful wail from Kyungsoo's dark beak.

"Oh no!" Jongdae yelped in concern, "Did I say something wrong? I'm so sorry!" He attempted to approach the distressed owl, whose feathers were puffed out.

"Jongdae, what happened!?" Came Minseok's worried call from the hallway entrance.

"I think I said something that upset him," Jongdae answered over his shoulder before turning back to the crying owl. "Hey, Kyungsoo," he attempted to soothe, "Shh, it's okay. Look at me, Kyungsoo."

Minseok watched from the hall entryway; he could feel anxiety clench at his chest as he glanced from Kyungsoo's crying beak to his digging claws on the bookshelf. - It didn't help that Jongdae was beginning to lose his cool as his attempts to calm the owl was starting to grow in desperation. With everything starting to crumble, Minseok knew he needed to do _something_.

However, before he could help Jongdae, he really needed to get his own breathing under control, or he'd risk having a panic attack before he could even reach his husband. Closing his eyes and focusing on his breathing, Minseok counted the seconds between breaths, blocking out Kyungsoo's pitiful song and Jongdae's fragile voice.

_ One, two, three… One, two, three… _

With his breathing more even, Minseok kept his gaze focused on where he was walking, not daring to look up at the shelf.

_ One step at a time. Focus on getting to Jongdae. _

It felt like hours before Minseok reached Jongdae's side, who by now looked defeated as Kyungsoo continued to sing his sad little heart out.

"Jongdae, babe, look at me," Minseok said as he composed himself, not wanting Jongdae to notice the underlying panic within him as he was so close to the owl. "Please, Dae, look at me." Copying what Jongdae did before, he used his forefinger to move his husband's head to face him. "I need you to take a deep breath." He started taking deep breaths of his own to set an example for Jongdae to follow.

Eventually, Jongdae's tension began to slowly melt away as he focused on his husband's face. As he worked to control his breathing, he felt Minseok's arms wrap around him in a gentle hug. The familiarity of his husband wrapped around him helped Jongdae relax further as he rested his head on his husband's shoulder. Kyungsoo's sad song didn't sound as loud when Jongdae's ear was pressed up against Minseok's neck and could thus hear his breathing and rush of blood above all else.

After allowing his husband a minute to relax in his embrace, Minseok pulled himself back a step before saying, "Dae, I need you to go with me to the kitchen."

"But-" Jongdae tried.

"No, babe," Minseok cut him off, "I need you to go with me to the kitchen first." He placed himself at Jongdae's side before looking at him expectantly. Seeing the resolve in Minseok's eyes, Jongdae gave in and allowed him to lead the way to the hall. Meanwhile, Kyungsoo continued his somber whistling. Once in the kitchen, Minseok had Jongdae sit at the kitchen table before sliding one of the mugs of tea to him.

"I need you to take a couple of sips of tea before we do anything else," Minseok stated with finality, his voice sounding more sure as it wasn't being held back by as much anxiety without the owl nearby. Complying, Jongdae quietly drank some of his tea, allowing the warm fluid to wash away some of his tension. With Jongdae looking a little better, the two began to think about what to do with their distressed guest.

After some back and forth, Jongdae suggested, "What if we sang? Kyungsoo clearly seems to express his emotions through song," the sorrowful whistling from the other room proving his point, "So what if we sang a calming song in return to help soothe him? Maybe then we could try talking to him again."

"That could work," Minseok began as he considered the other's idea, "Did you have a song in mind?"

"Yeah," Jongdae started before standing up and whispering to his husband the name of the song, feeling a little shy. Minseok's eyes lit up with recognition; he turned to the other and nodded in agreement. He didn't miss the tinge of excitement in Jongdae's curled lips as they both prepared to start singing. After a sip or two of tea, they sat down next to each other at the table, facing towards the hall.

Jongdae started the song.

"I'll get used to it,

Like catching a cold again."

Just as Jongdae finished his line, Minseok began to sing.

"The ash gray light pushes through,

And endlessly passes by, but still."

As Jongdae began the next stanza, the couple noticed how the somber song from the living room grew quieter and slowed down some.

"I must get through it,

'Cause it'll pass, it'll pass."

They switched again, but on the last line of the stanza, the couple began to sing together into the following stanza. Minseok slid his hand into Jongdae's, feeling hopeful as Kyungsoo's song was reduced to an occasional whistle every few seconds.

"Just need a moment,

'Cause it'll pass, it'll pass.

'Cause it'll pass, already."

"In the gray sky,

There is a brighter light,

Behind the dark clouds,

There is a dazzling-"

The couple froze as a heavily feathered boy stood in the doorway. He was shorter than before, small white feathers fanning across his chest but puffing out some around his lower belly and upper thighs. Long brown feathers sprouted from Kyungsoo's forearms in tidy rows. Atop his head were more brown feathers than hair. However, what surprised the couple the most was Kyungsoo's owl-like eyes boring into them and the stout beak that replaced his lips. - Nevermind his scaly legs and feet with toes that ended in short talons.

"I-I-I like your song," Kyungsoo sheepishly hiccupped. Tiny brown and white feathers began to sprout around his beak and puff out as he shyly continued, "Can-Can I hear you sing?"

"Of course, have a seat," Jongdae invited, giving Minseok's hand a reassuring squeeze as he could feel the building tension from the other - likely due to Kyungsoo's semi-beak.

With Jongdae's approval, Kyungsoo immediately brightened and hurried over to the chair in front of him. The feathers around his mouth receded while his beak shifted into normal lips. The couple squirmed a little at the sight, taken off guard by Kyungsoo's sudden change in appearance. Before they continued to sing, Jongdae slid the remaining cup of tea to Kyungsoo, which was now warm at this point.

(OvO)

The kitchen was silent. Three empty mugs hung on the drying rack next to the sink; the scent of tea still clung to the air. The kitchen table was straightened out while the rain outside was nothing but a dull roar, lacking the bite of lightning and thunder from earlier in the night. Minseok had just started drying his hands on a kitchen towel when Jongdae came walking in from the hallway.

"He's fast asleep," Jongdae said as he suppressed a yawn, "The poor boy must've been exhausted after being out in the rain and then shedding all those tears." He rubbed his face, trying to keep his eyes open.

"I don't blame him," Minseok sighed as he pictured a sleepy Kyungsoo curled over two chairs from earlier, "He's too young to be out so late by himself, and on top of that, he got lost out there during a nasty storm no less. It's no wonder why he's scared and tired." He paused when he heard Jongdae yawn again. "Shoot, how long have we been up?" Minseok wondered aloud, "Let's talk about this later, you really need to sleep, Dae." After hanging the kitchen towel from the oven's handle, he approached Jongdae and silently guided him back to their bedroom, making sure to be extra quiet as they passed a slumbering Kyungsoo in the living room.

Tangled under the sheets with one another, Jongdae quickly fell asleep. However, Minseok was still wide awake on his back, his head full of questions regarding the sleeping guest in the other room. Kyungsoo was still a mystery to the couple, and his unique appearance - Ability? - only added to that.

For one thing, the boy seemed too naive for his age. He had the mannerisms and speech of a preschool student but looked more like a high school student. Then there came the question of who or what is Kyungsoo. - He looks mostly human if you saw past his feathers and color-changing eyes, but that all goes out the window once he completely shifts into an owl.

_ Did we hallucinate all of this? Am I dreaming? _

Minseok didn't know. It was all surreal to him, so as he pondered alone in the dark, thoughts and theories regarding the sleeping guest soon gave way to sleep.

(OvO)

It was a rough morning, to say the least. Minseok had gotten up merely two hours after he and Jongdae went to bed, and given his lack of sleep, he wasn't very alert to his surroundings… including the mess of hair, bones, and teeth neatly packaged by the hallway entrance. Luckily, he didn't cut himself on any of the sharp pieces hidden within the little package but that didn't lessen the disgust that swirled in his gut. Of course, seeing how it was dark in the room, Minseok immediately assumed a rat had gotten in, causing him to step backwards a little too fast and fall right on his behind. A loud thud could be heard upon impact, which woke Jongdae up.

"Minseok!?" Came Jongdae's worried voice followed by the lights being turned on.

"There's a rat!" Minseok pointed an accusatory finger at the hairy mass sitting at his feet.

"Where's the rat?!" Called a feathery Kyungsoo, wrapped in one of Jongdae's old college t-shirts and pairs of worn-out jeans, from the kitchen. His eyes shined with gold as he scanned the couple for the said creature before his gaze landed on the ball of hair and bone.

"No, Kyungsoo!" Jongdae warned as he eyed the thing in question and pulled Minseok closer to him, "Don't go near it! You could get bitten!"

At his exclamation, Kyungsoo screeched with laughter as he momentarily took on a more owl-like appearance, his lips becoming more beakish while more feathers sprouted from his skin. However, his glee was cut short when his skin became red and itchy on his left arm. Tiny feathers seemingly spiked out where the skin was irritated. - It looked painful if Kyungsoo's teary eyes were to be taken as evidence.

"Stay there, Kyungsoo," Jongdae cautioned, "I'll be over there soon. Just let me throw this rat out!" Going to the front door, he went to the porch to retrieve his gardening gloves and the metal bucket by the front steps. Sliding the gloves on, he went back inside to bat the hairy thing into the bucket before promptly running outside to toss it further down the driveway.

After putting everything back, Jongdae took Kyungsoo with him to the restroom to wash his hands and tend to the rash on the other. Meanwhile, Minseok quickly got to work to disinfect the floor where the "rat" was.

"Can I take a look at your arm, Kyungsoo?" Jongdae inquired as he sat the boy down on the lid of the toilet. With his bottom lip jutting out, the younger allowed for his arm to be inspected, albeit hesitantly. Carefully, Jongdae stretched Kyungsoo's arm outwards. He noticed tiny feathers breaking out of the skin at sharp angles as well as other feathers that hadn't quite broken through; the sight made his stomach turn uneasily. Gently, he placed a finger over the reddening skin. - It felt hot to the touch! Kyungsoo whimpered in response, making Jongdae quickly pull his hand away in guilt.

"I'm sorry, Kyungsoo. I didn't mean to hurt you," he apologized. After placing Kyungsoo's arm on his lap with care, Jongdae explained, "I'm not sure why your feathers are growing that way, but it looks like you have a rash. I think we have something to help soothe the burn and itch." He dug through the first aid kit until he found the cream he was looking for.

"Is it going to hurt?" Kyungsoo asked, sinking his head between his shoulders as his eyes widened with worry.

"Just a little as your feathers may be sensitive," Jongdae carefully cautioned, "But once the cream is applied, it should help make the itchiness go away and cool off your skin." He could feel Kyungsoo tense up as his arm grew taut. Figuring it'd be best to distract the younger from the task at hand, Jongdae decided to talk about something else.

"Why were you laughing earlier?" He casually asked, putting on a relaxed display to put the other at ease.

"You didn't know?" Kyungsoo tilted his head in confusion. "I thought you were being silly on purpose."

"So it wasn't a rat?" Jongdae questioned in response. "I guess that explains why it felt so light. What was it then?"

"A pellet," Kyungsoo looked almost offended he had to explain.

"A pellet?" Jongdae parroted, processing.

"Yes, a pellet!" He scoffed, feeling baffled.

At Jongdae's stare, he continued, "Well, what do you call the bits you can't eat?" His expression was petulant as he waited for the older to respond.

"You threw up that?!" Jongdae asked in surprise.

"Well yeah," Kyungsoo shifted uncomfortably, "What kind of pellets are you throwing up?"

"I-I don't throw up," Jongdae stuttered before quickly tacking on, "Unless I'm sick."

"What kind of owl are you?" Kyungsoo inspected Jongdae further as though he were trying to make sense of a riddle or puzzle. Under his scrutinizing gaze, Jongdae felt quite put on the spot.

"I'm not an owl," he lamely responded as he put away the cream. "I'm- I'm just me." Something about how profoundly inquisitive Kyungsoo's eyes naturally were made Jongdae feel like shying away.

"What about Minseok? Is he an owl?" Kyungsoo asked, changing the subject.

"No, he isn't," he replied, an odd sense of guilt lingering within him, "We're just people. Humans."

"Oh." Kyungsoo looked down at his lap, folding his hands together over his thighs. The silence that followed was awkward for the two, but it didn't last long when Kyungsoo's stomach growled. The boy shifted in his seat, feeling a little sheepish.

"C'mon, Kyungsoo," Jongdae invited, "I'll fix you something to eat."

(OvO)

It was still cloudy outside. A fog was billowing lazily above the grass while the trees swayed in the wind. Sitting on rocking chairs on the porch, Jongdae and Minseok quietly talked outside while a satiated and sleepy Kyungsoo slept inside.

"Sehun called me earlier while you were in the bathroom," Minseok started, "He asked if I was okay because apparently a huge rise in the river's current flooded the bridge."

"Oh no! How long will the bridge be out?" Jongdae asked in concern, "What about your cafe? Are you going to let Sehun run it by himself?"

Minseok rocked back, sighing before answering, "I don't know how long it'll take for the bridge to clear. The firemen are looking into it as they believe some debris knocked over by the storm caused a blockage further downstream which is keeping the water level up over here." He accepted Jongdae's hand, which gave him a comforting squeeze. "I trust Sehun a lot. Taught him everything he knows, but I don't want to leave him with the stress of running the shop by himself. Which is why I told him to rest until I can safely travel to the cafe."

"Well Min," Jongdae began optimistically, "I don't think we'll have to wait long. I know how much you enjoy your job, but if those firemen are right, you'll be out there real soon again." He rubbed his thumb over the back of Minseok's hand in soothing circles.

They were silent for a moment, avoiding the elephant in the room. Rocking slowly in their chairs, the couple listened to the ambiance of the outdoors, allowing the breeze to clear their mind. After a minute or two of peace, Minseok started to shift in his seat. He didn't usually like to put things off, and the lack of discussion regarding Kyungsoo would soon make him restless. After taking a deep breath, he decided to just bite the bullet and just get on with it.

"So about Kyungsoo," he turned to face Jongdae, carefully watching his expression, "Since we can't go into town for the time being, what should we do? We could wait it out before going to the police station or try driving further southwest to the next town over. Or did you have a different idea?"

Jongdae sighed as he sunk in his seat. He thought back to their conversation earlier this morning, remembering how Kyungsoo had assumed they were owls like him. It made Jongdae wonder where exactly the young man came from if he wasn't aware of humans existing. His gut turned uncomfortably as he imagined what could happen if the wrong people found out.

_ What if he becomes some sort of lab rat? I couldn't do that to him... _

He pulled his hand away from Minseok before sitting up completely in his chair.

"I don't think we should tell anyone about him just yet, Minseok," he stated, keeping his voice firm but even. "I talked to him this morning, and he thought we were like him. I don't know, but Minseok, I don't feel comfortable letting just anyone see him. What- What if they take him away to be some sort of experiment? I couldn't do that, Min." His voice became a little shaky on that last sentence as he placed his hands flat on his lap and allowed his shoulders to deflate.

Minseok sat quietly as he considered Jongdae's words.

"Then what should we do?" He quietly asked, feeling more lost as he thought about Kyungsoo, the boy who could turn into an owl.

"He's hurt right now, so the least we could do is see to it that he gets better," his husband reasoned, relaxing a little.

"How'd he get hurt?" Minseok questioned, recalling earlier this morning when the boy stopped laughing and started to cry.

"I'm not sure," Jongdae leaned back in his chair, pondering, "When I looked at his skin earlier, he had an itchy rash which felt hot. I noticed he had tiny feathers poking out of his skin, not quite full-grown, as well as some that were still below the skin."

The image made them both shudder.

"What if he got sick after being in the rain?" Minseok began, "If we want to help him, we should look up what's going on… If there's such information out there." He rubbed at the back of his neck, finding their conversation - situation - so bizarre.

(OvO)

Sitting at the kitchen table, the couple had Jongdae's laptop in front of them. Currently, they were researching Kyungsoo's symptoms online in hopes of finding out what was happening to him. They searched up various descriptions for Kyungsoo's condition, but they received mostly the same results, spanning from allergies and acne to skin lesions and heat rash.

"None of this seems right," Jongdae sighed, frustrated, "Except maybe heat rash… But he was half owl at the time. Do birds sweat?" He promptly searched his question while Minseok comforted him by rubbing circles on his back.

"Maybe it has more to do with his owl side?" Minseok thought aloud as he gave Jongdae a placating smile.

"Oh yeah," Jongdae sheepishly replied, "Let's see what we get this time."

Together they read through the search results, most of them regarding feather plucking but one of the links caught their eye, "What Your Bird's Feathers Say About Their Health." Agreeing it was a good start, they read through the article. Throughout the article, the word, "molt", was mentioned several times. Curious, Jongdae looked it up. Just as the screen changed, they heard a thud from the other room. Worried, the two got up to investigate.

As soon as they walked into the living room, the flapping of a wing and, er, a half wing was seen from in front of the couch. Kyungsoo turned around, his face more owlish than human. Minseok slid back in the hallway to calm himself down while Jongdae took a deep breath before approaching the owl.

"Kyungsoo," he called tenderly, "What are you doing?"

He received a hollow whistle in response.

"Could you change back, please?" He asked before explaining, "So I can understand you better."

The owl nodded as feathers began to shrink away, replaced by more human features.

"Thank you, Kyungsoo," Jongdae said gratefully, "Can you tell me what happened?"

Kyungsoo nodded before answering, "My feathers. They've never changed when I'm… Human?"

"Is that what's happening?" Jongdae wondered, "You're changing your feathers?"

Kyungsoo nodded once more.

"That's what molting is, Dae," came Minseok's voice as he peered over the laptop in his hands from the hallway. Seeing that Kyungsoo didn't have a beak or talons anymore, he felt more comfortable joining the two on the couch.

Eyeing Kyungsoo's arm, Minseok continued, "According to what I read and from the looks of it, your new feathers may not be growing right."

Kyungsoo waited expectantly for him to continue while Jongdae scooted closer to Minseok to read what he found online.

Taking the hint, Minseok questioned the boy, "Have you been eating well, Kyungsoo?"

The younger broke eye contact, finding the coffee table to be more interesting. "Not really," he answered sullenly, "Ever since I-I got lo-lost," he was starting to shake, "Hunt-t-ting has got-gotten harder. The food is different, and- and the hairless bears wouldn't l-let me go h-h-home." The boy folded his knees and tucked them under his chin as he hugged his legs. Tears swelled at his eyes, which were becoming more owl-like as the rest of his appearance followed suit.

The boy's words took the couple off guard as they sat in silence, processing what he had said.

"Kyungsoo," Jongdae called, opening his arms, "Come here, please." The owl gave a low whistle before waddling into Jongdae's embrace, who started to sing quietly. Minseok was frozen in place, finding the display both endearing and scary - mostly due to the beak.

After some coaxing and hugging, Kyungsoo finally elaborated on what happened between tears. The couple learned that by "hairless bears" the younger meant scientists. Meaning, he had already experienced becoming what they worried would happen if they showed him to the world: an experiment, a lab rat. With some courage on Minseok's part, they formed a group hug with Kyungsoo at the center.

To Jongdae's surprise, Minseok asked Kyungsoo, "Do you want us to be your new home?"

The owl didn't hesitate to nod "yes".

**Author's Note:**

> This was fun to write! It certainly was a journey behind the scenes. I'd like to thank the prompter for the interesting prompt! - I felt really inspired the first time I saw it! Also, I would like to thank the mods of the fest for their help and feedback; they really made my experience with the fest a fantastic one! 💚


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